Liquid crystal display module for portable terminal

ABSTRACT

A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module for a portable terminal having a display unit is provided. The LCD module includes a reinforcement plate having a bottom surface and a side surface bent to extend from the bottom surface, a backlight unit coupled to an upper part of the reinforcement plate, a frame insert molded to the reinforcement plate and coupled to an edge of the backlight unit, and an LCD panel coupled to an upper part of the backlight unit, wherein the side surface of the reinforcement plate extends from the bottom surface to have a height greater than the combined height of the coupled LCD panel and the backlight unit, and further wherein the frame is formed to have a height not extending up to the LCD panel.

PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Koreanpatent application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office onJun. 9, 2009 and assigned Serial No. 10-2009-0051146, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a display device for a portableterminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a LiquidCrystal Display (LCD) module for a portable terminal having an improvedassembly structure.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many different kinds of electronic communication equipment now includedisplay devices using LCD modules. As a display device, the LCD moduleinforms a user of the various manipulation states of the equipment, suchas receipt of an incoming message, etc. Use of an LCD module as adisplay device provides several advantages based on its smaller size.Portable terminals, for example, are increasingly being fabricated withLCD modules and are thus being made lighter and thinner and aregenerally being miniaturized while being diversified in function. Also,to meet a diversity of user's desires, portable terminals having variousconstructions are now being put on the market.

Many of the diverse functions now provided for a portable terminal arebased on the use of the LCD module. For example, portable terminals arebeing made slimmer for ease of portability and to address weightconsiderations, while also getting wider for the sake of improvingvisibility of the LCD module. To achieve both a slimmer portableterminal and a wider viewing screen, terminal manufacturers have putmuch effort into improving the assembly of respective constituentelements of the LCD module.

A recent trend for producing LCD modules is the use ofhigh-pixel-resolution Thin Film Transistors (TFTs). An LCD module usinga high-pixel-resolution TFT is better able to meet a consumer's desirefor a high definition display device. However, because the TFT LCDmodule is relatively thin, the TFT LCD module includes a reinforcementplate made of Stainless Steel (STS) material. Typically, thereinforcement plate is applied to the back side of the TFT LCD module toprevent damage.

In more detail, the LCD module includes a metal plate, a backlight unitlaminated on an upper part of the metal plate, and an LCD panel attachedto an upper part of the backlight unit. Typically, the backlight unithas a frame made of synthetic resin material at its edge, and is fixedby way of a process of insert molding the frame to the reinforcementplate.

The reinforcement plate has a bottom surface and a side surface bent tohave three or more edges. The backlight unit is fixed to thereinforcement plate by insert molding the frame of the backlight unit tothe side surface of the reinforcement plate. A plurality of moldingholes are provided in the bottom surface of the reinforcement plate suchthat part of the frame of the backlight unit is introduced into themolding holes and performs a close fixing action.

Using the above described construction, the conventional LCD moduleincludes a side wall of the frame between a side surface of the LCDpanel and a side surface of the reinforcement plate. As a result, theconventional LCD module has a thickness that includes the side surfaceof the frame and the side surface of the reinforcement plate. Because ofthis configuration, the conventional LCD module provides a limitedbenefit in reducing the overall size of the equipment due to its ownassembly structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is to address at least theabove-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at leastthe advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the presentinvention is to provide a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module for aportable terminal that contributes to a reduction in size of theportable terminal

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an LCD module fora portable terminal that is constructed to realize a decrease in widthand length of the portable terminal.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an LCD module fora portable terminal having a display unit is provided. The LCD moduleincludes a reinforcement plate having a bottom surface and a sidesurface bent to extend from the bottom surface, a backlight unit coupledto an upper part of the reinforcement plate, a frame insert molded tothe reinforcement plate and coupled to an edge of the backlight unit,and an LCD panel coupled to an upper part of the backlight unit, whereinthe side surface of the reinforcement plate extends from the bottomsurface to have a height greater than the combined height of the coupledLCD panel and the backlight unit, and further wherein the frame isformed to have a height not extending up to the LCD panel.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainexemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparentfrom the following description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram illustrating a portable terminalincluding a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective diagram illustrating an LCD moduleaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan diagram and a key-part perspective diagram illustratinga reinforcement plate according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 4 is a key-part cross section illustrating an assembled state of anLCD module according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood torefer to like parts, components, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplaryembodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding, but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the embodiments described hereincan be made without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructionsare omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of theinvention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not forthe purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claimsand their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, a reference to “a component surface” includesreference to one or more of such surfaces.

By the term “substantially” it is typically meant that the recitedcharacteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, butthat deviations or variations, including but in no way limited to, forexample, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitationsand other factors known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, mayoccur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic wasintended to provide.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, aportable terminal is described, for example, but it is noted that thepresent invention is widely applicable to any of wired/wirelessequipment to which Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels are applied.

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram illustrating a portable terminalincluding an LCD module according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, the portable terminal 100 is of a bar type.However, it is to be understood that application of the presentinvention can be to any type of portable terminal including a rotatingtype, a flip type, and the like. The bar type portable terminal 100 hasa display device 10 installed on a front side. In an exemplaryimplementation, display device 10 includes an LCD module. The bar typeportable terminal 100 further includes a speaker 101, and a receiver(not shown), installed on an upper part. Also, the bar type portableterminal 100 has a microphone 102, and a sender or transmitter (notshown), installed at a lower side.

In comparison with conventional LCD modules, application of theexemplary LCD module 10 of the present invention to the portableterminal 100 reduces a width (W) and length (L) of the portable terminal100. That is, the exemplary LCD module 10 of the present invention,having an LCD panel of the same size as a conventional LCD module, isable to reduce the overall width (W) and length (L) of the portableterminal 100 as compared with application of a conventional LCD panel,thus assisting in reducing the overall size of the portable terminal 100without reducing the size of the viewing region.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective diagram illustrating an LCD moduleaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the LCD module 10 includes a reinforcement plate14, a backlight unit 13, a double-sided tape 12, and an LCD panel 11. Inan exemplary implementation, the backlight unit 13 is laminatedsuccessively on the reinforcement plate 14.

The reinforcement plate 14 may be made of a metal material, for example,Stainless Steel (STS). Alternatively, the reinforcement plate 14 may bemade of another type of metal or may be made from a non-metal materialhaving physical characteristics such as rigidity similar to metal. Thereinforcement plate 14 has a bottom surface 141, and a side surface 142bent upwardly along an edge of the reinforcement plate 14 from thebottom surface 141. In an exemplary implementation, the side surface 142is bent upward and extends by a constant height from the bottom surface141. The side surface 142 of the reinforcement plate 14 is to support aframe 131 supporting the backlight unit 13, and is to prevent abreakaway of the frame 131 resulting from an insert molding process. Inan exemplary implementation, the frame 131 is made of synthetic resinmaterial.

A plurality of first molding holes 143 are provided at intervals in thebottom surface 141 of the reinforcement plate 14. A plurality of secondmolding holes 144 are provided at a boundary portion between the bottomsurface 141 and the side surface 142. Accordingly, the frame 131 ispartially introduced into the respective first and second molding holes143 and 144 at the time of insert molding and, as a result, functions tofirmly couple the backlight unit 13 with the reinforcement plate 14.

In addition, Flexible Printed Circuit Boards (FPCBs) 111 and 132 arecoupled to and extend from the LCD panel 11 and the backlight unit 13,respectively, and are electrically connected to a PCB (not shown) of theportable terminal 100 for operation.

FIG. 3 is a plan diagram and a key-part perspective diagram illustratinga reinforcement plate according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, first molding holes 143, which are provided in abottom surface 141 of the reinforcement plate 14, perform a role ofkeeping a close hold on a frame 131 of a backlight unit 13 at the timeof insert molding. However, the frame 131, according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, does not go up to a side surface ofan LCD panel 11 at the time of assembly of an LCD module and therefore,there is a need to more closely fix the frame 131 to the reinforcementplate 14. For this purpose, the reinforcement plate 14 has secondmolding holes 144. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the second molding holes144 are provided in the bottom surface 141 and side surface 142 of thereinforcement plate 14 at a boundary portion between the bottom surface141 and side surface 142. That is, a frame mold of the backlight unit 13is simultaneously supported by the bottom surface 141 and side surface142 of the reinforcement plate 14 by way of the second molding holes 144of the reinforcement plate 14 and therefore, the frame mold can be fixedmore firmly.

FIG. 4 is a key-part cross section illustrating an assembled state of anLCD module according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 4, an LCD module 10 includes a backlight unit 13 fixedto a reinforcement plate 14. A frame 131, which may be made of syntheticresin material and located along an edge of the backlight unit 13, isinsert molded into second molding holes 144 provided in the bottomsurface and side surface of the reinforcement plate 14 in addition tofirst molding holes 143. An LCD panel 11 is fixed by a double-sided tape12 to an upper part of the backlight unit 13 whose frame 131 is insertmolded to the reinforcement plate 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the side surface of the reinforcement plate 14extends above a top surface of the LCD panel 11. That is, thereinforcement plate 14 is formed to have a height greater than that ofat least the mounted LCD panel 11 and the backlight unit 13. Byconfiguring the side surface of the reinforcement plate 14 to extendabove the top surface of the LCD panel 11 and by insert molding theframe 131 in the first molding holes 143 and the second molding holes144, the LCD module 10 is provided with sufficient structural integritysuch that the frame 131 need not be placed at a side surface of the LCDpanel 11. That is, based on the configuration of the reinforcement plate14 and the frame 131 being injection molded into both the first moldingholes 143 and the second molding holes 144, the frame 131 is formed tohave a height that does not extend up to the LCD panel 11 while stillproviding sufficient structure.

The aforementioned LCD module 10 is mounted within upper and lower caseframes 103 and 104 of a terminal. Also, a transparent LCD window 105 isinstalled by way of a double-sided tape 106 to overlap with the LCDpanel 11, thereby protecting the LCD panel 11 from external damage orcontamination.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a gap (g)between a side surface of the LCD panel 11 and an inner side surface ofthe reinforcement plate 14 does not include the frame 131 of thebacklight unit 13 unlike the conventional LCD module. Therefore, thewidth and length of LCD module 10 can be reduced without deterioratingits structural integrity.

Accordingly, an LCD module according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention has an effect of, although applying the same LCDpanel, being capable of realizing a portable terminal having a reducedsize as compared to the conventional art.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference tocertain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module for a portable terminalincluding a display unit, the LCD module comprising: a reinforcementplate having a bottom surface and a side surface bent to extend from thebottom surface, wherein the reinforcement plate comprises a plurality offirst molding holes provided in the bottom surface and a plurality ofsecond molding holes provided in a boundary portion between the bottomsurface and the side surface; a backlight unit coupled to an upper partof the reinforcement plate; a frame insert molded to the reinforcementplate and coupled to an edge of the backlight unit; and an LCD panelcoupled to an upper part of the backlight unit, wherein the frame insertis formed to have a height not extending up to the LCD panel, andwherein each of the plurality of second molding holes extends into boththe bottom surface and the side surface from the boundary portionbetween the bottom surface and the side surface.
 2. The LCD module ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of first molding holes are provided atconstant intervals.
 3. The LCD module of claim 1, wherein the frame isformed to have substantially the same height as the backlight unit. 4.The LCD module of claim 3, wherein the side surface of the reinforcementplate and a side surface of the LCD panel are installed to be spaced aconstant distance apart.
 5. The LCD module of claim 1, wherein the framecomprises a synthetic resin material and the reinforcement platecomprises a metal.
 6. The LCD module of claim 5, wherein the metalcomprises stainless steel.
 7. The LCD module of claim 1, wherein theside surface of the reinforcement plate extends from the bottom surfaceat a constant height.
 8. The LCD module of claim 1, wherein the LCDpanel is coupled to the upper part of the backlight by a double-sidedtape.
 9. A portable terminal comprising a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)module, the LCD module comprising: a reinforcement plate having a bottomsurface and a side surface bent to extend from the bottom surface,wherein the reinforcement plate comprises a plurality of first moldingholes provided in the bottom surface and a plurality of second moldingholes provided in a boundary portion between the bottom surface and theside surface of the reinforcement plate; a backlight unit coupled to anupper part of the reinforcement plate; a frame insert molded to thereinforcement plate and coupled to an edge of the backlight unit; and anLCD panel coupled to an upper part of the backlight unit, wherein theframe insert is formed to have a height not extending up to the LCDpanel, and wherein each of the plurality of second molding holes extendsinto both the bottom surface and the side surface from the boundaryportion between the bottom surface and the side surface.
 10. Theportable terminal of claim 9, wherein the plurality of first moldingholes are provided at constant intervals.
 11. The portable terminal ofclaim 9, wherein the frame is formed to have substantially the sameheight as the backlight unit.
 12. The portable terminal of claim 11,wherein the side surface of the reinforcement plate and a side surfaceof the LCD panel are installed to be spaced a constant distance apart.13. The portable terminal of claim 9, wherein the frame comprises asynthetic resin material and the reinforcement plate comprises a metal.14. The portable terminal of claim 13, wherein the metal comprisesstainless steel.
 15. The LCD module of claim 9, wherein the side surfaceof the reinforcement plate extends from the bottom surface at a constantheight.
 16. The portable terminal of claim 9, wherein the LCD panel iscoupled to the upper part of the backlight by a double-sided tape.
 17. ALiquid Crystal Display (LCD) module for a portable terminal including adisplay unit, the LCD module comprising: a reinforcement plate having abottom surface and a side surface bent to extend from the bottomsurface, wherein the reinforcement plate comprises a plurality ofmolding holes provided in a boundary portion between the bottom surfaceand the side surface; a backlight unit coupled to an upper part of thereinforcement plate; a frame insert molded to the reinforcement plateand coupled to an edge of the backlight unit; and an LCD panel coupledto an upper part of the backlight unit, wherein the frame insert isformed to have a height not extending up to the LCD panel, and whereineach of the plurality of molding holes extends into both the bottomsurface and the side surface from the boundary portion between thebottom surface and the side surface.
 18. A portable terminal comprisinga Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module, the LCD module comprising: areinforcement plate having a bottom surface and a side surface bent toextend from the bottom surface, wherein the reinforcement platecomprises a plurality of molding holes provided in a boundary portionbetween the bottom surface and the side surface of the reinforcementplate; a backlight unit coupled to an upper part of the reinforcementplate; a frame insert molded to the reinforcement plate and coupled toan edge of the backlight unit; and an LCD panel coupled to an upper partof the backlight unit, wherein the frame insert is formed to have aheight not extending up to the LCD panel, and wherein each of theplurality of molding holes extends into both the bottom surface and theside surface from the boundary portion between the bottom surface andthe side surface.